**Acronia City**
*"Full of Crime and Mystery"*
Acronia City—infamous for its unsolved crimes and eerie mysteries. Incidents occur, but no evidence is ever found. No suspects. No clues. Even the police are left baffled.
Among the shadows of this city lived a boy named Mihir.
His story, like his life, was one of pain and sorrow. Since childhood, Mihir had no support—no family to turn to, no guiding hand. Even his relatives offered only empty words, never true companionship.
When Mihir was just five, his entire family perished in a tragic accident. From that moment on, his world shattered. He wandered the streets alone, surviving on scraps and hope. His house had become no more than a broken hut. He starved often, relying on sheer will to survive.
His relatives refused to help—even in the smallest way. Mihir often asked himself, *Why me? Why did my family leave me behind?*
One day, he sat curled up in the corner of his ruined home, weeping, haunted by memories.
He remembered the day his family died. They had planned a group pilgrimage to an ancient, sacred temple. Mihir had fallen ill the night before, so a relative stayed behind to care for him while the others departed.
But their bus never reached the temple. Its brakes failed on a steep slope. It tumbled down into the valley—and no one survived.
---
**Mihir's Dream**
Despite his suffering, Mihir held onto a single dream: to become a detective. Even as a child, he noticed small details others ignored. He longed to solve mysteries and bring justice.
**But Life Had Other Plans**
Nothing ever went right for Mihir. He failed repeatedly. People mocked him, laughing, "Ha! You'll never be anything—not even close."
---
**Mihir Turns Sixteen**
At sixteen, still carrying the weight of his past, Mihir came across a small bookshop. Hungry and tired, he asked the old woman who owned it for work or food.
The woman looked at him with kind eyes. "You can work here," she said softly.
He bowed gratefully and accepted the job. His duties included cleaning the shop, organizing books, and making sure customers had no complaints. He worked every day from 9 AM to 9 PM, earning 500 rupees daily.
Weeks passed. The owner noticed something unusual—Mihir stayed two hours late every evening.
One day, she asked him, "Mihir, what do you do here after hours?"
Caught off guard, Mihir hesitated. Then he replied, "I… I clean."
"No, you don't," she said gently. "I've seen you reading old books and newspapers in the storeroom. Why?"
Mihir lowered his eyes and replied, "Madam, I have dreams. I want to be a detective. But I don't have the money to study. So I read whatever I can… maybe one day…"
She looked at him for a long time and asked, "A detective, you say?"
He nodded and walked away.
---
**A Change Begins**
Mihir worked tirelessly for over a month. People began to notice. He knew where every book was, remembered customer preferences, and even predicted what they might want next.
"You run this place better than we do," joked the locals.
One day, a policeman entered the shop asking for a map. Mihir handed it to him without even looking.
Surprised, the policeman smiled. "Why are you grinning, son?"
Mihir replied shyly, "Nothing, sir."
The owner's daughter chimed in, "He wants to be a detective, uncle!"
The officer laughed kindly. "That takes years of study, son."
"I haven't studied formally," Mihir said, "but I've read enough to sharpen my mind."
The officer patted his shoulder. "Keep it up. Maybe one day, you will be."
---
**The Mysterious Card**
One evening, on his way home, Mihir saw something on the ground. It was a card.
It read: **"Detective Squid"**
He froze.
*Whose card is this? Where did it come from?*
As he held it, strange rays burst out. A face appeared in the light, calling his name: "Mihir…"
Shocked, Mihir dropped the card and ran.
He thought, *This must be a prank…*
Unbeknownst to him, the card vanished into thin air. His chance… gone.
---
**A New Bond**
The next morning, he reached the shop tired and hungry. The owner noticed.
"You haven't eaten?" she asked. Without waiting for his answer, she brought him food.
Mihir was overwhelmed. "Why are you so kind to me?" he asked.
Her daughter smiled, "Because you're like a brother."
Mihir was stunned. *For the first time, someone called me brother.*
From that day, they treated him like family. Still, Mihir felt unworthy.
"I'm useless. I don't deserve this," he said.
"Nonsense," the owner replied. "If you were a burden, we would've known. But you've only helped us. You are part of our family now."
---
**Hope Rises and Falls**
Time passed. Mihir worked hard. Life became stable—but his dream felt far away.
One day, he found a newspaper on the street. On the front page was a blurry photo of a man—*the same man from the card*. Mihir didn't recognize him, not with the moisture-damaged image.
It was *Mr. Detective Squid's Leader*.
That day, he arrived at the shop to find it empty. Fear crept in. He called out—but no one answered.
Suddenly, the owner, her daughter, and several others jumped out, shouting: "Surprise!"
The shop had hit record sales—largely thanks to Mihir.
They threw him a party and gifted him a phone.
That night, however, as the celebrations ended, Mihir looked worried.
"Why so sad?" the owner asked.
"My house is far, and the roads are unsafe," Mihir admitted.
"Stay here tonight," she said. After some hesitation, he agreed.
---
**An Unknown Call**
Days passed. Mihir resumed his routine.
One evening, after dinner, he received a call from an unknown number. It rang five times. On the sixth, he picked up.
"Hello?" he said.
A sharp voice responded, "Hello, Mihir."
The line went dead.
A message was left behind.
---
**What now?**
Who was on that call?
Why did they reach out to Mihir?
What role does he play in this unfolding mystery?
Will Mihir finally get his chance?
Or will fate lead him astray once more?
Only time will tell.